Red Sox rookie Tolle throws immaculate inning in 4-1 win over Royals

Boston Red Sox rookie pitcher Payton Tolle delivered a historic performance on Sunday, throwing an immaculate inning to start the game and leading his team to a 4-1 victory over the Kansas City Royals. The win secured the series for Boston, which took the final two games of the three-game set at Fenway Park. Tolle, a 23-year-old left-hander, retired the first three batters he faced on just nine pitches, striking out Nick Loftin, Bobby Witt Jr., and Jac Caglianone in order. The feat marked the first time a Red Sox pitcher had thrown an immaculate inning to begin a game since Hall of Famer Pedro Martinez accomplished it on May 18, 2002. It was the eighth immaculate inning in franchise history. The game's start was delayed by 1 hour and 50 minutes due to rain. Once underway, Tolle dominated, pitching six scoreless innings while allowing four hits and one walk. He struck out seven batters, bringing his rookie season total to 166, which places him second in Red Sox history behind Daisuke Matsuzaka's 201 in 2007. Boston took an early lead on a solo home run by Caleb Durbin in the second inning.